


Strategic Retreat

by fenellaevangela



Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-09-09 11:52:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8889748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fenellaevangela/pseuds/fenellaevangela
Summary: A ghost hunting romp, in two acts.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mendeia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mendeia/gifts).



“Okay, so what are you thinking?”

Erin had to yell to he heard over the shrieks and shattered lightbulbs that seemed to be the current spirit’s default setting. A brief pause in the racket was quickly accompanied by rancid ectoplasm splashing around the edges of the old sofa the four women were taking cover behind, splattering the wall in front of them. Patty ducked lower as some of it also hit the top of her head.

“I’m thinking we circle around back!” she said. “We sneak out without tall pale and dead back there being any the wiser, and not come back until we have the big guns. These,” she shook her current weapon in emphasis, “aren’t cutting it!”

Wedged up against Patty’s side, Holtzmann nodded vigorously. “Big, _big_ guns. I have new ones! The final upgrade hasn’t been tested, but - ”

“ _No_ ,” said the other three women, in unison, and Holtzmann was in the middle of rolling her eyes when the ectoplasm stopped and the wailing resumed.

“Jeez, what are we waiting for?” she asked. “I won’t grab the new guns, pinky swear. Let’s just get going before the dead guy gets any more excited!”

“Um, so, I was actually asking Abby!” Erin yelled, then blanched. She leaned over Holtzmann and into Patty’s space. “. . . I don’t know why I felt the need to point that out. It doesn’t matter who takes point on a decision - it’s not important - I value your contributions, Patty!”

Patty’s eyebrows moved steadily up her forehead as the other woman continued to speak. When Erin finally finished she just stared up at Patty with her eyes all round and doleful, obviously waiting for a response.

“That’s, um, good to know?” Patty hazarded. Holtzmann made a weird face behind Erin’s back and Patty shot her a look

“I’m serious! I didn’t mean to imply - ” A particularly loud crash cut Erin off and caused all four of the women behind the sofa to wince. A moment later a ringing silence filled the room as the sound stopped again and another stream of ectoplasm began to splash relentlessly against their cover.

Before Erin could finish her sentence, Abby reached over from Patty’s other side and grabbed her attention by placing her hand on Erin’s shoulder.

“Look, you apologized and Patty seems fine with it. Don’t you think that covers it, at least until we’re done with this job?”

Holtzmann tugged one arm free from where it was crammed underneath Erin to cock a finger gun in Abby’s direction. “I like the way you think.”

Abby returned the gesture. “Appreciate it. Erin?”

“Uh, does this conversation need to happen in my lap?” Patty asked. The other women looked up at her and then backed away slightly, but not quite back to their original positions. Patty sighed.

“So?” Abby prompted.

Erin nodded. “Bust ghosts now, be embarrassing later. You’re right, I’m ready to go.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear it because I’m agreeing with Patty. We need to regroup.”

“Good!” exclaimed Patty. “This guy is giving me a headache. Everyone grab your shit and get ready; once he stops playing Exorcist we run for the back door.”

* * *

Back at their headquarters the four women made quick work of upgrading their arsenal for a second attempt at capturing the belligerent ghost. Patty headed immediately to dig out the high-capacity proton packs while Abby and Erin began to recalibrate the nozzles to accommodate a stronger energy stream. The three were working together like a well-oiled machine, with Erin only awkwardly stumbling over a comment to Patty once, but Holtzmann wasn’t a cog in their machine; unsurprising to anybody, Holtzmann was instead determinedly shuffling through the organized chaos of one of her worktables. Just as Patty realized that the engineer wasn’t with them and looked up, Holtzmann pulled a bulky gun out from amidst her various projects with a look of triumph like Arthur extracting the sword from the stone.

“Holtzmann, _no_.”

The other two women’s attention quickly turned to Holtzmann, who let the arm with which she held the gun drop dramatically to her side. There was a low metallic sound as the oversized weapon grazed the floor. Abby snorted and Erin rolled her eyes, before they both returned to their work.

“C’mooon Pats,” Holtzmann whined. “I’ll just bring one! You guys can use the tried and true option and be _safe_ ,” – the one-handed finger quotes she included at that point made her opinion of the safer choice clear as day – “and I’ll use the experimental weapon and look badass, we can all be happy.”

Patty settled the final proton pack next to Abby and Erin and grabbed a finished nozzle to begin assembly. “Unless it blows us all up.”

“It’s noooot going to blow up.”

“Are you sure?” Abby interjected.

“I’m ninety-five percent sure,” assured Holtzmann, hefting the gun back up and resting it on her shoulder.

Erin looked up in shock. “Ninety- _five_?” she exclaimed.

Holtzmann shrugged. “Okay, more like eighty-five.” A brief pause. “Eighty-two.”

“Okay, look,” said Abby. “You’re not bringing that deathtrap with us. This is just a regular domestic haunting; we’re not getting blown up ‘cause someone’s great-uncle didn’t want them reupholstering his favourite chair.”

“I second that,” Patty said.

“Oh! Thirded,” said Erin, raising her hand.

Abby nodded. “Three to one! Majority wins. Now put that thing back where you found it and get over here, will you?”

“Aww, I didn’t know we were _voting_ ,” Holtzmann said. She pouted but put the gun back in its place among the mechanical detritus on her worktable. “I could have argued my case way better! Like, did you know - ?”

“Nope,” interrupted Patty, shoving a proton pack and a recalibrated nozzle into Holtzmann’s arms. “I’m sure its fascinating and we’ll all be eager to hear your new toy’s specs _after_ this job.”

Holtzmann sighed. “Fine . . . hey, who picked out the gauge of this attachment?”

“I’m pretty sure that was you,” Abby said, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“Well, past me obviously didn’t read last month’s _Esoteric Engineering_ ,” Holtzmann explained, already pulling out a wrench from some pocket or another. “Because this is _clearly_ sub-par workmanship, I’ll have to redo the whole thing, these packs will be out of commission for at least a week. Maybe two - ”

“Holtzmann.”

“Uh-huh?” she said, not looking up from fiddling with the proton pack as Abby addressed her.

“You’re not the only one here who reads _Esoteric Engineering_ , you know.”

“Seriously?” said Patty under her breath. 

“Shh!” Erin said. Her eyes went wide a second later. “I mean! Um - !”

Patty held out a hand to stop her. “Don’t worry about it.”

Ignoring the other two, Holtzmann looked up at Abby and smirked. “Aww, shucks,” she said.

“Uh huh,” Abby said. “And that issue didn’t say two words about proton packs – we’re using them. Now stop stalling and suit up, we’re burning daylight here.”

“Fine,” Holtzmann conceded.

With everyone finally all on the same page, their preparations were quickly finished and the group was heading out the door in no time. After loading the equipment into the car there was a minor squabble over seating arrangements, with Holtzmann and Abby jostling around in the back seat.

“Sometimes I can’t believe I put up with you people _and_ ghosts,” Patty said.

“Aww, don’t lie,” said Holtzmann, finally settling into her seat and buckling up. “You love it.”

Patty sighed and slid into the driver’s seat. She closed the door and started the ignition. “Yeah, I guess I do.”


End file.
